Hurting

People are hurting. Maybe you are. In the last year my wife and I have each lost grandparents that were close to us; today I am missing my grandmother. She was like a lot of grandmothers very sweet, didn't like to speak ill of anyone, loved her family, was a faithful wife, sick from time to time but wouldn't let you feel sorry for her, and always was a huge encouragement to my life. My wife and I also lost our nephew who was 10 years old a couple of months ago, and that was beyond expression heart wrenching. His parents have lost their home, laid off of work and now their oldest has passed away---how do you even breathe another breath after that?!

I could spend hours sharing the pain of folks we know and what they are going through but my purpose in sharing this is to get a few things off my chest and gain some perspective.

Two words I memorized in Sunday school as a child,"Jesus wept." It was the easiest verse to remember. In John 11 Jesus was asked to come help Lazarus who was sick by Mary and Martha, and in God's timing He came, and says after seeing all the grieving by friends and family because Lazarus was dead Jesus groaned in the spirit and was troubled, then he wept.

Jesus gets it, He understands how hard life can be for us. What if He had said,"Hey sisters why are you crying, where's your faith, Lazarus is in Heaven so be joyful, nothing to cry about!" Well that would suck if our Savour was so insensitive, I am thankful He understands that sometimes life is inexpressibly difficult, and He grieves with us! Yes God hurts with us when we've lost our home, our job or even a loved one!

So if your having a crummy day or week or year I hope you can break away from the idea of always having to have a Sunday school smile and rest in the fact that our Father does very much love us intimately.